Dear Brethren,

This is an interesting story.

"Blind Soldier- Flora/Caldonia"

William Russell Murray was a Southerner who enlisted in the Union Army in Nashville in 1863, Company I of the 10th Tenn. Infantry Regiment. Company I had "enrolled" at Battle Creek, Marion County Tennessee and this is the county where William's wife, Susan (Susannah Margaret) BIBLE, was born and grew up and where William lived most of his life.

William R. Murray was born in ANSON COUNTY, NC, March 8, 1842. At the end of the War Between The States, his regiment is designated as "The Governor's Guard" in Nashville. William R. Murray is found in the hospital in Nashville on numerous occasions.

Shortly after the war ends, (July 20, 1865), William R. Murray marries Susan Bible. His 1923 death notice in the South Pittsburg TN newspaper reveals that- shortly after his discharge from the Union Army- he loses his eyesight and then lived for nearly sixty years as a blind man.

Meanwhile, back at the Battle Crick, his daughter Flora Anna Murray was born May 16, 1866 and his daughter Nancy Caldonia (Dona) Murray was born Dec. 23, 1868.

Then on March 30, 1871, Susan Bible Murray died, leaving blind William R. Murray with two small baby daughters.

We find daughter Anna at the age of 14, in the 1880 Marion County Census, being raised in District 9 of Marion County by her aunt Louisa BIBLE BEENE and her husband William Owen BEENE, along with their other 3 children.

However, according to the family of GEORGE WASHINGTON BIBLE and CATHERINE SPEEGLE BIBLE, their daughter Louisa BIBLE BEENE dies July 16, 1880, very soon after the 1880 census was completed.

Flora Anna Murray marries Charles W. MASON and has 7 children and Nancy Caldonia (Dona) Murray marries Samuel HASKEW and has numerous children (7 in the 1900 Census).

In the 1900 Census, William R. Murray is living as the spouse of C. F. Murray and next door to his 2 daughters (MASON and HASKEW) and their families in the Battle Creek area of Marion County.

In 1923, we find the South Pittsburg Tennessee newspaper posting great great grandfather William R. Murray's death notice where it mentions that he had recently died in St. Cloud Florida, that he was an active Methodist, and that he was buried in the TATE Cemetery in TATE'S COVE, Battle Creek, Marion County Tennessee.

Beg, Beg, Beg, Beg, Beg, Beg, Beg.

I am endeavoring to find the parents, grandparents, g grandparents (and more extensive pedigree), and other family of William R. Murray. Is there any one reading this message who knows these people?

William Russell Murray is quite an interesting fellow.
WRM's Florida death certificate states that his father was GEORGE MURRAY and his mother was MRS. RUSSELL and that both of them were born in North Carolina.

His death certificate also clearly states that his full name was WILLIAM RUSSELL MURRAY, he was born March 8, 1842 and that he died Jan. 4, 1923 in St. Cloud Florida where he had resided for approx. 6 years.

The informant on the certificate was his second wife, Caroline Francis Murray and he was removed to and buried at South Pittsburg, Marion County, Tenn.

It seems very clear that W. R. Murray had moved to St. Cloud as part of a "colony" of Union Army veterans who were getting very elderly and moved in mass to and basically founded that town which is now large a tourist town near Disney. In 1917, it was a very small agricultural community which had among its small citizenry over 800 former Yankee soldiers.

The main occupation in St. Cloud was "constant gab", telling old Civil War stories and being involved in Patriotic Activities. St. Cloud had the second largest chapter of the "Grand Army of the Republic" in the entire Nation.

William Russell Murray's Last Will was probated in Marion County Tenn. and in it he names his above wife, his daugthers Flora Anna Murray Mason and Nancy Caldonia (Dona) Murray Haskew and bequeaths to them his property including land in St. Cloud FLA and land in Marion County TN.

Also very new is a record in a book entitled "Sequacthie Valley Soldiers in the Civil War" in which it is says that W. R. Murray's "home county" at the time of his enlistment into the Union Army in 1863 was Jackson County Alabama. I have to date been unable to find anything to confirm his home or presence there.

Barbara Gonce Clepper, author of the book "The Raulstons and the Russells" which has many Marion County TN and Jackson County Ala. connections, stated by telephone that: she knew of a William Russell who she felt was the brother of her Thomas Russell, a revolutionary patriot for whom Russell Cave in Alabama was named for, and that she felt this William Russell was the brother of Thomas. She also stated that this William was a soldier under Andrew Jackson and the town of Russellville Ala. was named for him.

I have no direct absolute knowledge that this William Russell is connected to William Russell Murray except that they have closely connected families and geography (Marion County Tenn and Jackson County Ala. are next door to each other and share many of the same people).

Mrs. Clepper also stated that William Russell married Lydia Bean and the Beans/Beenes are very closely connected to William Russell Murray.

THE FOCUS OF THIS POSTING: is to learn about George Murray, father of WRM and "Mrs. Russell" who is WRM's mother.

I would very much appreciate any and all help that anyone can give relative to these people and their parents, grandparents and further.

MY GOAL IS TO: get the Murrays or the Russells back to Scotland, Ireland or England and have a kilt wearing, bagpipe playing member of the family.

My name is Barbara Garrett and I work at the Tennessee State Library and Archives. I would very much appreciate all help any can give me.

Thanks,
Best Regards,

Barbara Garrett
James Patrick III